International Jazz Day

(jazz music) (jazz music) - Morocco has always welcomed jazz music.

It's a very mystical place.

I don't know, it speaks to something in me.

I feel at home when I come here.

- We're bringing the music home, showing Africa what it produced, how far this music stretched out, and how it's inspired people all around the world.

- Tangier is historically a strategic port between Africa and Europe.

All of these factors make it such an interesting melting pot.

And in essence, that's what jazz is all about.

It's quite poetic that international jazz day is here.

- This music traces its roots to Africa, and I know that people of the continent and people of the city will forever be changed.

(jazz music) (crowd cheering) (crowd cheering) - Bonsoir, madame et monsieur.

It's a great honor to be here tonight in, Tangier.

(crowd cheering) This year's host city for International Jazz Day.

It's incredible to realize that today, Jazz Day, is being celebrated in over 190 countries all across the world through performance, educational programs, community service, and outreach initiatives, jazz is playing its part in building bridges across nations.

And tonight, we've assembled for you an all-star cast of musicians, many of whom have traveled to Tangier, Morocco from the four corners of the globe.

These incredible musicians who you're gonna see are able to open us up to one another in ways that transcend language, culture, and history.

Enjoy.

(crowd cheering) (jazz music) (jazz music) When I was out Who took me in Gave me a shoulder to cry on Showed me love again Nobody but you Nobody but you Make me love you like I do (jazz music) - My father was a great blues musician named Johnny Copeland, and so I grew up singing music in the house all the time.

The song that I'm doing tonight is a song that my dad wrote about my mom.

They're both deceased now.

I'm looking forward to performing in Africa for the first time in my life.

I know they'd be proud.

Make me love you like I do Only you hold a little piece of my heart (jazz music) Only you Gave my life a brand new sky (jazz music) I was drinking that mash Talking plenty of trash Who made me realize I was headed nowhere fast Nobody but you Nobody but you Make me love you like I do Go on, play it, Joe.

(guitar instrumentals) Hey!

(guitar instrumentals) (guitar instrumentals) (guitar instrumentals) - [Shemekia] How about it for Joe Louis Walker, y'all on that guitar, give it up.

(guitar instrumentals) When I was down Who lift me up When other men they clown Who made me their buttercup Nobody but you Nobody but you Make me love you like I do Nobody but you Nobody but you Make me love you like I do Tangier, I wanna know Can you hear me out there If you can hear me, all I want you to do Is wave your hands at me like this, y'all Say yeah Yeah Oh, oh, oh Lord Say it with me, say oh Hey Yeah Oh, oh, oh Lord Listen, I was down Clap with me, Tangier.

Baby, yeah I was all the way down on the ground But you lift me up You lift me up You lift me up and you make me feel like I'm alive Come on, Tangier, say oh Hey Yeah Oh, oh, oh Lord One more time, say yeah Hey Yeah Oh, oh, oh Lord Ay - Merci beaucoup, merci beaucoup.

(jazz music) Thank you.

- Man, music is that kind of uniting factor.

It doesn't matter who you are.

It doesn't matter how old you are.

It doesn't matter what language you speak.

If it's gonna get you, it's gonna get you.

(jazz music) (piano instrumentals) (piano instrumentals) This foolish heart could love you This foolish heart could also easily fall For in the instance that our eyes Should ever happen t'intertwine Or should your hand fall ever sweetly into the precipice of mine Take care with all the words you tell me Take care with what your eyes may seem to say You know poetry and prose Are far too easy to compose And then I'll start believing there's The slightest chance For some romance For this foolish heart Wondrous is what the moment brings Wonderful the song the songbird sings Yet, even though it's wonderful The evening there, yeah, I should know There is about to be an end To everything I see (jazz music) For no sheer amount of moonlight No sheer amount of stars that shine above Could sweetly cast a light upon your face Nor ever offer an embrace, no This story ends as only friends With such a foolish heart (jazz music) (crowd cheering) (upbeat jazz music) (jazz music) [singing in Xhosa] Lord of strength [singing in Xhosa] Creator of heaven [singing in Xhosa] We cry to you [singing in Xhosa] Creator of the earth [singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] If this is the case?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] The power?

[singing in Xhosa] Lord of strength [singing in Xhosa] Creator of heaven [singing in Xhosa] We cry to you [singing in Xhosa] Creator of the earth [singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] If this is the case?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] The power?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] If this is the case?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] Our strength (jazz music) (jazz music) (windpipe instumental) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) [singing in Xhosa] Lord of strength [singing in Xhosa] Creator of heaven [singing in Xhosa] Creator of heaven [singing in Xhosa] We cry to you [singing in Xhosa] Creator of the earth [singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] When will it happen?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] The power?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] If this is the case?

[singing in Xhosa] If this is the case?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] Our strength?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] If this is the case?

[singing in Xhosa] Where will we end up [singing in Xhosa] The power?

(slow jazz music) (crowd cheering) - I think the humanitarian impact of jazz has to do with its ultimate inclusivity.

We all support each other, but depending on the moment, any of the musicians could have the right idea and we all follow that other person.

- You have this limitlessness where as long as you can agree on where we're going, we're always gonna get there.

It's like pick a direction.

Well, jazz in general, to me, it's the most open music.

It's just the perfect vessel to get the other musics involved.

(jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (piano instrumental) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (windpipe instrumental) (windpipe instrumental) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (crowd cheering) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (crowd cheering) - The kind of impact that International Jazz Day has now, I had no idea that that was gonna happen in the beginning.

It's reaching so many people in so many unimaginable ways.

(jazz music) Last year, International Jazz Day reached over two and a half billion people around the world.

- There are so many events.

They're not all just concerts or jam sessions.

They're educational events.

There are panel discussions, there's dialogue.

There are outreach programs in hospitals.

(jazz music) - It's what the spirit of international Jazz Day is about, to bring people together, to give them a sense of hope and empowerment.

- Jazz is more than music.

It is a message of freedom, a message of creativity.

It carries values, strong values of dignity, of respect and hope.

Activities are taking place in schools, in museum, in community centers, universities all around the world.

- What's wonderful about the Jazz Day thing is that it's not just one concert.

The musicians get here early and just go out into the community and interact, especially with the young people, that's really an important part of it.

Music has a way of just getting where it's supposed to be.

it's like water, it sees a hole, it just gets in there.

It's kind of like a Trojan horse, you know what I mean, of goodness.

(slow clap to music) - This is a music that speaks to humanity, (cheering, slow clap to music) the human experience.

Ooh Oh - To have these kinds of experiences, I think is what International Jazz Day is about.

(crowd cheering) Just a photograph of yesterday With all it's edges painted And the corners painted sepia brown And yet it's all I have of our past love A portrait of it's ending Brighter days I can see such brighter days When every song we sang is sung again And now we know This time it's for good And we're lovers once again And you're near me I still remember the rain in December The leaves of brown on the ground In Spain I did love and adore you The nights filled with joy were our yesterdays And tomorrow will bring you near me I can recall my desire Every reverie is on fire And I get a picture of all our yesterdays Yes today, I can say I get a kick every time they play That Spain, again I do I see moments of history Your eyes meet mine And they dance to the melody And we live again As if dreaming The sound of our hearts beat like castanets And forever we'll know their meaning I can recall my desire Every reverie is on fire And I get a picture of all our yesterdays Yes today, I can say I get a kick every time I see you gaze at me (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) Magnus.

(jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) Romero.

(scatting) (scatting) (scatting) The nights filled with joy were our yesterdays And tomorrow will bring you near me I can recall my desire Every reverie is on fire And I get a picture of all our yesterdays Yes today, I can say I get a kick when I hear you say Heres Spain Heres Spain Again (crowd cheering) (jazz music) - The music from Morocco, I feel so connected to it, especially that instrument, the gembri, that they play with the Gnawa music, I realized my instrument, the bass guitar, this is the ancestor, this is the beginning.

(string instrumental - Of course, if you know Gnawa music, Gnawa music is, they use a bass instrument, it's called gembri, with three strings, and it's all about the pentatonic scale.

And it reminds you straight away of the blues - That the music is so soulful, they remind me of Pentecostal church, when you hear them sing, that's like, that's church.

- The Gnawa people, they use music also to overcome adversity, the same way African Americans use jazz to overcome adversity.

(Gnawa jazz music) International Jazz Day is a prime example of how we can bring together people from all different countries all under the umbrella of this music.

(Gnawa jazz music) (Gnawa jazz music) (crowd cheering) - The legendary Abdellah El Gourd, Grammy-nominated master of Gnawa music, and a native of Tangiers, holds a profound significance in the Moroccan jazz scene as well as the jazz community worldwide.

His work preserving and promoting Moroccan musical traditions while embracing the spirit of jazz has earned him adoration and respect the world over.

Central to El Gourd's lifetime journey is his deep and enduring friendship with the late American pianist and composer, Randy Weston.

Their partnership brought Gnawa music to the attention of the world and created the genre we call today Gnawa jazz.

So, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the embodiment of cultural diplomacy, the Gnawa icon, Abdellah El Gourd.

(crowd cheering) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (singing in African) By Allah, people of Allah, (singing in African) this moment is a gift from Allah (singing in African) By Allah, people of Allah, (singing in African) this moment is a gift from Allah (singing in African) By Allah, people of Allah, (singing in African) this moment is a gift from Allah (singing in African) By Allah, people of Allah, (singing in African) this moment is a gift from Allah (singing in African) I'm Moroccan Gnawi, (singing in African) playing rhythm from my country (singing in African) By Allah, people of Allah, (singing in African) this moment is a gift from Allah (singing in African)Hail my lord and don't forget me, (singing in African) I am possessed and spiritual (singing in African) By Allah, people of Allah, (singing in African) this moment is a gift from Allah (singing in African) By Allah, people of Allah, (singing in African) this moment is a gift from Allah (singing in African) Oh ye, my lord, (singing in African) oh masters of the transe (singing in African) Welcome to you (singing in African) Dance, this is your rhythm (singing in African) And welcome again (singing in African) Sidi Moussa we commend to you (singing in African) Don't ask it, our transe is in you, (singing in African) lovers of the transe (singing in African) Don't forget, our medecine is in you, (singing in African) this is the destiny of Allah (singing in African) By Allah people of Allah, (singing in African) sidi Moussa the prophte of Allah (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (crowd cheering) Free your mind and let your thoughts expand Take your time, only on your command Free your mind, just let your thoughts expand Just unwind and listen to the promised land Don't hold on to hatred That can be a heavy load You can be free, lift it Take it where you want to go The pursuit of happiness is inside of you Listen to your soul, be who you desire to Free your mind, just let your thoughts expand Freedom to love inside child, woman, and man Free your mind and let your thoughts expand Take your time, you will find that love is kind It's alive when you free your mind (jazz music) (windpipe instrumental) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) - Alil Shaw.

Go on and free your mind, let your thoughts expand Take your time, only on your command Free your mind, let your thoughts expand Take your time, look to the promised land Don't hold on to hatred 'Cause that could be a heavy load You can be free, live to take you where you want to go The pursuit of happiness is inside of you Listen to your soul, be who you desire to Free your mind and let your thoughts expand Freedom is alive inside the child, woman, and man Free your mind, just let your thoughts expand Darling, take your time You will find that love is kind and sublime Take your time You will find love Is kind (scatting) (scatting) (scatting) Trust me, when you free your mind (crowd cheering) - Thank you.

(crowd cheering) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (crowd cheering) (jazz music) Cuando te veo Que sale la luna y me voy a ballar La constelacion entre cebollas Ajos aromas imaginate Cultivo de rosas Tu empiezas a llegar Y joven luna amor Vengan todos a bailar Ah.

Te quiero Ah.

Espero Ah.

Te quiero Ah.

Te quiero Bailaremos contigo al comps del universo Ver tu carita y volar de alegra Sentarme a soar Con los das que te veremos crecer Al alba pura Quiero caminar contigo El da, la noche y dems Ah, te quiero Ah, te espero Ah, te quiero (scatting) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) (jazz music) Ah, te quiero Ah (scatting) Ah Ooh Romero Santos Romero Que salga lo malo y entre lo bueno Ooh Ooo (scatting) (scatting) (scatting) (crowd cheering) - Jazz completely changes your perspective of life.

Encouraging young people to pick up an instrument will bring less violence, spread more love.

So jazz does this.

(jazz music) Ah Ha!

Aha ha ha!

Aha!

Aha ha ha!

Ah Ha!

Lets settle our differences Its best to leave in peace Exchange cultural experiences That's the way it should be One people One people One world One world One world One world One people It's easy to understand To have peace in the land Together we must work hand in hand Justice for all we demand One people One people One world One world One world One world One people Yeah (jazz music) Ah Ha!

(jazz music) Ah ha ha ha Ah ha ha ha Ah ha Ah ha Racism has no place Give hatred no space Virtues must guard the human race Peace and love we should embrace One people One people One world One world One world One world One people All nations are guilty And one word of hostilities Now is the time to work for peace It's our responsibility One people One people One world One world One world One world One people (jazz music) Ah ha (jazz music) Ah ha ha ha Ah ha ha ha Ah ha Ah ha ha Ah ha ha ha Ah ha ha ha ha Ah ha ha Ah ha ha ha ha Ah ha ha Let's see your hands now, everybody.

Come on.

Come on.

Morocco.

Come on!

One people One world One world One people Hey, hey (jazz music) Merci beaucoup, we love you all, thank you.

(crowd cheering) - Our International Jazz Day global concert must come to a close.

(crowd jeering) Ah yes.

(crowd jeering) Though I suspect there will be more music on the back streets and bars of Tangier tonight.

Each year, the International Jazz Day concert closes with a seminal world peace anthem that is sadly more relevant today than it was in 1971 when John Lennon created this simple, thoughtful, and powerful message wrapped in a melody that could only be his.

So now, thank you for being with us tonight as we welcome our global all-stars back to the stage for "Imagine."

(crowd cheering) Imagina no hay cielo It's easy if you try No infierno abajo Above us in the sky Imagine all the people Living for today Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do No killing, no one to die for And no religion, too Imagine all the people Living in peace On peut dire que je suis rveur Rveur mais pas tout seul Et j'espre qu'un jour tu nous rejoindras Et le monde vivra uni Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one (jazz music) (piano instrumental) (windpipe instrumental) (piano instrumental) (scatting) (scatting) - Wooh.

(scatting) (jazz music) (crowd cheering)